Shadow Girl
by aboutbreak
Summary: Korenna is back, & is after Eric. But this time, she wants more than new material. . .


Chapter 1

"I'll Never Look Back"

Michael was washing clothes as he thought"I wander if this war every ones talking about will really happen. If it does, I'm getting out of this hell on earth." It was, in reality, a thought he pondered on a great deal. Being twenty-two, and being the closet thing to a faher his sister, Molly, had ever known, did trouble him a bit though. Not that they didn't have a father, or a mother, for that matter, but, both of them were drunks, always spending their money on liquor. Because of this, the Billings family was quite poor. Mike and his friend Chris farmed the little five acre plot of land his father had lucked into during a poker game one night.Chris Kicpatrick was a great help to Mike, and even lived with him, in a shed they had fixed up out back. They slept in a loft, and Molly slept on the ground floor on a bed Mike had toiled on for over six months. Mike felt the bruise on his head. It still hurt. He had just asked his father for a little money for a new ox to plow the field, because their's was sick. Jim Billings had become livid and hit his son over the head with the butt of his rifle. Mike was just thankful he hadn't shot him. "Mike, Mike, can you hear me" Molly's voice aroused him out of his thoughts. "Yeah, I hear you Molly. Sorry" he said.

"The cow got out out again Mike! I ran over here as fast as I could"

Mike once again noticed his elleven year old sister becoming more and more beautiful, and knew he would soon be fighting suitors off of her.

"Dang it" Mike exclaimed. "That's the third time this month! I thought I fixed that rail"

"Well, I guess you didn't fix it good enough Mike", it was Chris.

"Chris, you shut your mouth before I shut it for you" Mike exclaimed though he was grateful he was there, because Chris was slightly faster and could catch Annabelle better than he could.

"Sorry Mike, didn't mean to rattle your bones like that" Chris said with a glint of humor in his eyes.

"Well, we had better go get her, Chris."

"Aw, dont worry 'bout that, already taken' care of", Chris exclaimed triumphantly.

"Thanks Chris", Mike said gratefully"don't think we could make it with out you."

"Well, geez, I already know that much, why do you think I stick around? Certainly ain't fot you, just for pretty Miss Molly over there" Chris said pointing at Molly.

Molly blushed. She always did when Chris said something like that. Truth be known, she told Mike one day she was in love. Mike didn't pay much heed, because she was only elleven, but she definately had a school girl crush.

"Molly, why aren't you at school" Mike demanded suddenly. He had lost complete track of the time.

"Aw, Mike, it ain't no fun there, just sittin' around listenin' to old Mr. Mcgee ramble on 'bout 'rithmatic and literature."

"I know it's not much fun Molly, but a pretty little lady like you should go to school, that way you'll have brains and beauty, so when you marry a dumb lug like me, you can teach him how to read and write too" Chris said gently.

"Oh, okay Chris, but only 'cause you said so" she said, blushing again.

"Any time, Miss Molly."

Molly ran inside to get her books and was off in a flash. Mike picked up his wash board and went back to the laundry. Looking suddenly startled, he asked"Chris, do you think this war will really happen"

"Actually, Mike, I think it will. When I went up to Boston last week, I saw a rebel, from Virginia, I later found out, gettin' the snot beat out o' him. Seen the same done here with the negroes."

Mike's family couldn't afford any slaves, so he had no concept of owning one, much less beating it.

"Well, if it does, I'm enlisting. I can't stand it around here any longer. Sooner or later, I'ma shoot my dad or he's gonna shoot me one" Mike said.

"Aw, Mike, what about Molly? I hate to see her have to be here with your parents."

In reality, Mike's parents weren't much better than his own, both being shot down in a saloon where they were both shot down because his pa wouldn't pay a debt he owed from a poker game. His mother was shot to prolong the suffering of his father.

"She's just so sweet, and smart too. Girls like her shouldn't have to live in a place like this."

"I know Chris, that's why I'm sending her to my aunt's place. It's not much, but she's real kind, one of them Christian folks, so I figure Molly'll be treated right kindly out there."

"Well, that sounds like a pretty good place, though I don't get that religion stuff."

"Well, to be honest, I really don't either, but I've seen some of those people and they seem to be some how happier than us, and I want that for Laurie, Chris." Mike said heavily.

"Well, if some one's gonna be there for Laurie, I reckon I'll enlist with you there Mike." Chris said.

"Aw, Chris, I don't want you to do that! You don't even believe in this war"

"Well, maybe not, but I reckon we done this good this long, so why stop a good thing" Chris said with a sly smile.

Mike hated that smile. It always meant Chris was dreaming dreams that could never happen, and always he was worse off for it.

"Chris, I can't stop you from enlisting, if this thing does come up, but don't get this big picture of you savin' the President or nothin', cuz' I seen you like that before, and it don't end good. You mope around for days, mad at the world."

"That is not true" Chris said defialntly.

"You know it is you dog! You did it when you saw that poster with the beautiful woman who lost her dog and offered s reward. You come up with notion you's gonna find it and bring it back, and the two of you was gonna run off, get married, have ten kids and live happily ever after"

"Well, I mite get a tad bit carried away some times, but it ain't nothin' like that" Though he knew it was true.


End file.
